Matchday 2 (Group D) - Wednesday 27th September, 2017

[Stan 10,348]

Kick-off 7.45pm

Juventus vs Olympiakos

Sporting Lisbon vs Barcelona

[Stan 10,348]

Barca squad

[Carnivore Chris 1,970]

Messi equals Carles Puyol tonight as the player with the third most games for Barça. Both have played 593 games for the club.

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Suarez has missed a couple of good chances already. 

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Doumbia dives and pretends to be injured . Even gets the physio to come on and give him some spray! Thankfully the ref didn't fall for it. 

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Juve somehow still drawing with Olympiakos. Should be a few goals ahead. 

[Stan 10,348]

own goal from Sporting gives Barca the lead.

[Carnivore Chris 1,970]

Own goal is Barça's second top scorer this season on 4 goals..

[SirBalon 2,607]

Flippin eck! Barça are the own goal kings this week! 

[Stan 10,348]

Higuain! Comes off the bench to break the deadlock. 1-0 Juve!

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2-0 Juve! Dybala shot cleared off the line but straight on to Mandzukic's head.

[SirBalon 2,607]

2 minutes ago, Stan said:

but straight on to Mandzukic's head.

If it wasn’t for his skull, who knows what job he’d be doing. 

[Stan 10,348]

Just now, SirBalon said:

If it wasn’t for his skull, who knows what job he’d be doing. 

hitman.

[Stan 10,348]

2 minutes ago, Cannabis said:

I've been out at football so only just turned on the Barcelona game. How have they played? 

@SirBalon @The Rebel CRS @11Neymar Ousmane Dembélé11

wasteful. Sporting done alright. 

[SirBalon 2,607]

9 minutes ago, Cannabis said:

I've been out at football so only just turned on the Barcelona game. How have they played? 

@SirBalon @The Rebel CRS @11Neymar Ousmane Dembélé11

Very boring mate...  Don't watch the highlights and don't watch the goal which was scrappy and an own-goal.  The first half was a terrible advert for football with Sporting putting a six man back line and in the second half there was more control in midfield from Barcelona but without any endeavour.  The most important factor is the victory, three points and a clean sheet.

[Panna King 869]

Bas   Should lf had a pen!

[Stan 10,348]

7 hours ago, VanPanna said:

Bas   Should lf had a pen!

there was one chance where he should have shot towards goal instead of squaring it after it got passed to him. Don't know how he's doing at Sporting but lack of confidence against a big side?

[Carnivore Chris 1,970]

14 hours ago, SirBalon said:

Very boring mate...  Don't watch the highlights and don't watch the goal which was scrappy and an own-goal.  The first half was a terrible advert for football with Sporting putting a six man back line and in the second half there was more control in midfield from Barcelona but without any endeavour.  The most important factor is the victory, three points and a clean sheet.

It was awful. But most away games have been like that this season and it's been more about grinding out wins. Camp Nou has been where we have seen the quality football, but away from home it's been a lot different and more scrappy.

 

As for the defence. You can't fault it(especially Umtiti), it has been solid and Ter Stegen can always be relied on to make a world class save when called upon and that's important. It wins games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SirBalon 2,607]

Just now, The Rebel CRS said:

It was awful. But most away games have been like that this season and it's been more about grinding out wins. Camp Nou has been where we have seen the quality football, but away from home it's been a lot different and more scrappy.

 

As for the defence. You can't fault it(especially Umtiti), it has been solid and Ter Stegen can always be relied on to make a world class save when called upon and that's important. It wins games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, one of Ter Stegen's saves was simply outstanding to be honest.

There seems to be something sticky about the midfield and even Iniesta committed various errors which is strange.  For me the best outfield players were Busquets first and foremost (insatiable), Semedo and Sergi Roberto especially in the first half.

It wasn't an easy game to play and Jorge Jesus set his team out perfectly to stunt anything creative from Barça.  They seemed to be playing three different formations all in one game and all in each half depending the zone of play and which team was on the ball.  It was very conservative but had it not been for an own goal he almost made it at least a draw.  A very important victory and three points in the type of game that can go all wrong.

[Carnivore Chris 1,970]

Sergi Roberto would be better in midfield though I think and Denis on the left. Iniesta needs to rest more.

 

The next 2 games are against Olympiacos and should both be wins with all due respects to them, as should the home tie against Sporting. The tricky one now in this group is Juventus away but if the other 3 games are wins then that one likely won't be decisive on who wins the group in the end as I can see Sporting getting something from Juventus over their 2 games with them.

This was the second most difficult fixture of the group, after Juve away. Sporting can't be taken lightly, they are doing well out in Portugal, so as you say it was a potential banana skin and 3 points are what mattered in the end. You still do want to see more in these away games though.

Edited September 28, 2017 by The Rebel CRS

[Cicero 3,759]

9 minutes ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

messi and company had a terrible game, but it was against a very good sporting team. all that fucking money they have spent, they have suarez and messi upfront and it had to be an own og that saved them from the embarrassing 0-0 against sporting. 

Because United didn't just get the ugliest 1-0 win against a poor Southampton the other week with the most expensive squad ever assembled. 

Bore off 

[Cicero 3,759]

3 minutes ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

and Barcelona has the "greatest player of all-time according to Bartomeu" and one of the greatest midfielders of all time, iniesta.

 

even though its off-topic, man utd is still unbeaten 17 goals scored and 2 allowed you fuckboi

Look who you've faced so far you nonce, and yet you are not even first  

Long season to go. United are Looking like our start to the 2008/09 season, blew bottom half teams away, only to completely capitulate when things got tough. 

[Panna King 869]

6 hours ago, Stan said:

there was one chance where he should have shot towards goal instead of squaring it after it got passed to him. Don't know how he's doing at Sporting but lack of confidence against a big side?

He scored 36 goals in the league last season.

[Stan 10,348]

3 minutes ago, VanPanna said:

He scored 36 goals in the league last season.

meant this season so far.

[Carnivore Chris 1,970]

17 minutes ago, Teso dos Bichos said:

 

 

even though its off-topic, man utd is still unbeaten 17 goals scored and 2 allowed you fuckboi

Barcelona this season so far:- 6 games, 6 wins, 20 goals in favour and 2 conceded in La Liga and 2 games, 2 wins, 4 goals and 0 conceded in the Champs league.

 

 

[Philippe Coutinho 76]

On 9/27/2017 at 10:30 AM, Cannabis said:

I've been out at football so only just turned on the Barcelona game. How have they played? 

@SirBalon @The Rebel CRS @11Neymar Ousmane Dembélé11

Didn't watch it, mate. By all accounts it was a dreadfully tedious game anyway.

Didn't watch it cos the Fox networks producers in the USA chose to have it on one of the non-HD channels. Grr....Barca was always on HD channels last season. Now that the English teams (notably Man Utd) are doing well in the competition, FOX is broadcasting the English teams' matches in HD. As a fan of Barca, couldn't be bothered with a channel that's non-HD.